Improvement in painters  canvas



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

WILLIAM LEVIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAINTERS CANVAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 206,886, dated August 13, 1878; application filed March 29, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LEVIN, of New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Painters Canvas, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to provide a canvas or painting fabric for the cheaper quality of oil-paintin gs, now largely produced, which will combine great cheapness with the other qualities essential for this purpose. These qualities are mainly a good appearance, opacity, smoothness, impermeability to the oil of the colors, and readiness of preparation.

The base of the canvas used heretofore in pictures of this class has been common white unsized muslin. The disadvantages of this are its requiring more time to prepare it, its roughness, or the presence of fuzz, which requires to be pumiced off, and its permeability to the oil of the colors, which strikes through, causing the colors to fade and the canvas to become semi-translucent, thus presenting a bad, weak appearance, and rendering the picture unsalable.

My invention consists in a painting fabric or canvas produced by treating a glazed and colored fabric upon the glazed surface, first, with a coating of glue size, and, when this is dry, with a coat of oil paint, by which the defects of former canvas are overcome, and the desirable qualities are secured, as hereinafter set forth.

In carrying out my im'ention I employ for the base of the canvas any suitable glazed and colored fabric, the interstices of which are filled with an opaque color combined with starch or vegetable sizing, one surface of the f. brie being highly sized and calendercd or glazed, while the other side is dull.

For this purpose roll-cambric of a brown color is preferably employed, being well suited for the purpose. This is first cut in pieces, which are tacked at two or three sides onto the frames or strainers, the other sides being left free for final stretching, the glazed side of the fabric being placed uppermost, while the dull surface forms the back of the canvas. The glazed surface is then treated with a coating of glue size, quickly applied by a brush; and

when the surface is fully wetted thereby the fabric is then stretched at the free sides and tacked to the strainer. It is next allowed to dry, to render the fabric strained and taut upon the frame, and when the surface is fully dry it is treated with a finishing coat of oil paint applied by a brush over the previous coating of size.

This oil paint I prefer to compound as follows, being a mixture original with myself, and specially adapted for the purpose: Twenty pounds white lead, twenty pounds whiting, eight pounds boiled linseed-oil, three ounces borate manganese, two pounds spirits turpentine, tinting of raw sienna. Any suitable oil paint, however, may be used, and when this coat is dry the canvas is finished, and is then ready for painting upon.

The canvas thus produced has the advantage of great cheapness, of being very readily prepared, and combines all the desired qualities for the intended purpose. The fabric base having already a perfectly smooth or glazed surface, the presence of fuzz is entirely obviated, which in fabrics previously used is a source of great annoyance, requiring more or less pumicing to remove it, thus causing delay and expense, while the surface when finished is inferior.

Again, in the present canvas, the base being itself charged with an oil-proof vegetable or starch sizing, and also having its interstices filled with an opaque color, this, in connection with the applied coats of glue size and oil paint, renders the canvas quite opaque and impervious, imparting an appearance of strength and solidity so much desired, and enabling the colors of the picture to dry bright, while the oil is prevented from striking through, thus enabling the cheap picture to preserve its bright and vital appearance and to retain its salable qualities.

What I claim as my invention is- An improved canvas for oil paintings, formed of a glazed and colored fabric, having its glazed surface sized and painted, substantially as herein set forth.

WILLIAM LEVIN.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD ll. WALEs, CHAs. M. HIGGINs. 

